Machine for driving fence-posts.



No. 755,673. PATENTED MAR. 29, 1904.

' R. M. JONES.

MACHINE FOR DRIVING FENCE POSTS.-

1 APPLICATION FILED um. 15, 1902.

K0 MODEL.

Wilgesscs UNITED STATES I Patented March 29, 1904.

PATENT OF ICE.

MACHINE FOR DRIVING FENCE-POSTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Iatent No. 755,673, dated March 29, 1904.

Application filed September 15, 1902. Serial No. 123,444. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD M. J ONES, of Bevier, in the county of Macon and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Machine for the Driving of Fence-Posts into the Ground, the details of which are fully set forth in the following specification, reference eflicient in operation, and one in which the,

post-driving weight will be automatically released upon reaching the limit of'its ascent.

The invention comprises the details of construction and combination of parts more fully hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 illustrates a wagon having my improved device applied thereto," the parts being shown in their folded position. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the parts open in position for driving a post. Fig. 3 is a rear view, the parts being in the position as in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a vehicle having wheels 2 and the usual run-' ning-gear .3. These parts may be of the usual or any desired construction, inasmuch as they form no part of the present invention.

4 and 5 indicate twoparallel bars extended longitudinally of the vehicle and attached to the front and rear bolsters of the runninggear in any suitable manner, but preferably by spring-clips 6, as herein shown. These clips being adjustable will permit of the device being readily attached to Vehicles varying in length.

7 indicates a weight-guiding member, preferably in the form of a rectangular chute, having an open side 8, which when the device is in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3 will be the rear side and an open end 9, which will when the member occupies its vertical position be the lower end. The transverse walls of the chute are provided on their interior faces with suitable ribs 10, which serve to guide the weight 11 during its 5 0 travel therein, and the chute is further provided at its closed end with suitable cam-faces- 12, formed, preferably, by triangular blocks secured. in the angles formed between the end and side walls of the member.

13 indicates a sliding head or member adapted to travel on the guides 10 and to be, operated by means of a suitable cable or the like 14, mounted over a guide-pulley 15, pivoted for rotation in a bearing 16, mounted at the closed end of the chute, the cablebeing operated by means of a suitable winch 17.

The sliding head 13 has pivoted thereto a pair of grappling members 18, mounted one at either side of the head. These members, which normally occupy a substantially vertical position, have their lower ends formed 'into suitable engaging hooks or fingers 19,

adapted to engage beneath recessed lugs 20, formed on the upper'face of the weight in the manner and for the purpose presently described, and at their upper ends project above the sliding head'13 in position to contact with the cam-faces 12 when the head is in its elevated position.

The weight-guiding member 7 is pivoted at its lower rear end by means of a suitable bolt or rod 21 to the rear end of the longitudinal bars 4 and 5 and is adapted to swing on its pivot from a horizontal to a vertical position. 22 indicates two braces, preferably in the form of bars, pivoted at one end to the forward ends of the longitudinal bars4 and 5 and provided at their opposite ends each with a series of perforations 23. These braces are situated one at either side of the member 7 and are adapted when the member is raised to its vertical position to sustain the same, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and to admit of its adjustment by moving the bolt or other means which attaches the bars to the member from one of these perforations 23 to another, as will be readily understood. i The operation of the device is as follows: When it is desired to drive a post into the ground, the vehicle is moved to the proper position and the frame 7 swung on its pivot to assume a vertical position relative to the post, so that the weight when it descends'will strike thepost squarely for driving the same. These parts being properly arranged, the winch is operated to raise the head 13, which, owing to the engagement of the grappling members 18 with the weight, will raise the latter until the upper ends of the grappling members, which project above the head, contact with the cams 12, which will serve to automatically release the lower ends of the grapplers from the lugs 20 on the weight, thus releasing the same and permitting it to fall by gravity upon the end of the post.

It is to be particularly noted that the cable 14 is attached directly to the head 13 and is wholly free from engagement with the grappling members 18 and that the latter are so pivoted to the head as to swing by gravity to engaging position for automatically engaging the weight 11, thus obviating necessity for manually engaging the parts.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I produce a device which is extremely simple of construction, one which will efiiciently perform its functions, and one in which the weight will be automatically and entirely released from its elevating mechanism to permit it to descend by gravity to perform its driving operation, and in attaining these ends I do not limit or confine myself to the details herein shown and described, as various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is In a fence-post driver, the combination with a vehicle and its bolsters, of a pair of parallel bars extending longitudinally of the vehicle, adjustable clips connecting the bars to the bolsters, a weight-guiding chute pivoted at one end to the bars and provided with inner guides, braces pivoted to the opposite ends of the bars and adjustably engaging the chute, ahead slidingly mounted in the chute and engaging the guides, means for operating the head, a weight slidingly mounted in the chute beneath the head and provided with recessed lugs, grappling devices pivoted to the head with their upper ends projecting above the same and their lower ends provided with fingers for engaging the recessed lugs, and cams disposed at the upper end of the chute for actuating the grappling devices to automatically release the weight.

RICHARD M. JONES.

Witnesses:

T. E. FRANCIS THOS. FRANCIS. 

